While neither faction is even slightly inspired by or similar in behaviour to real world organisations, they do manifest political thought that exists and has existed in the real world, Levine told Complex at New York Comic Con.

“We started the game thinking about the city and the nationalistic, patriotic, religious components of the city. A lot of people said ‘oh, you’re copying the Tea Party,'” he said.

“And in a way we were copying the Tea Party, in that the Tea Party is another expression of a movement that’s happened over and over again in American and European and every kind of history.

“The opposing group, the Vox Populi – the much more leftist, populist group – shortly after we introduced that to the world you see the Occupy Wall Street movement.

“The reason that happens is because these movements happen over and over again. Quite often they happen as reactions to each other.”

BioShock: Infinite is due on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. Catch the full interview below.